Firefly
by ayame-v02
Summary: After a tragic accident, Zuko and his friend Yani were separated. But through a twist of fate the two are able to meet once again 1.5 years later. Will Zuko be able to keep Yani by his side now, or will his obsession with the Avatar get in the way? Follows cartoon storyline loosely
1. Prologue: In Sickness and in Health

_**Zuko**_

**Prologue: In Sickness and in Health**

I was already seven years old the first time she got sick, so of course I remember. She had just turned six, so she probably remembers, too.

She was at the palace that day—she was always at the palace. Actually, if you didn't know any better, you might have thought she was the princess or something. She wasn't, of course, but she might as well have been. Mother spoiled her, too. Sometimes, when I was mad at one of them, I would think that everyone loved her more than me. I know now that that wasn't it at all. It wasn't out of love but out of pity that they gave her so much attention. I guess I was the same. At first, anyway. We all only wanted the same thing for her. We wanted nothing bad to happen to her, not when she was with us; which is why everyone was so panicked when she got sick for the first time in the corner of my room.

She was at the palace that day as usual. Her visits had become a daily routine for me, and this day was no different. I waited patiently for her to arrive at the front gate, eager to begin an adventure in the garden again like we had done the day before. The only problem was she was late, and I was getting antsy. I waited at the front gate all morning, until even my mother came out with lunch. I could tell she was just as anxious to see her as I was.

Together, we sat behind the front gate of the palace eating the sandwiches our chef had prepared and waiting. Once Mother was done with her lunch and I was still eating, she spoke. "Did she say she'd be here?" My mother asked. "Maybe she couldn't come today."

I shook my head and swallowed my last bite. "No, she'll come. She always comes," I argued.

Almost as if it were on cue, one of the guards turned his head to us as he pointed to a small figure walking along the road to the front gate. Unable to hide my excitement, I handed my empty plate to the guard as I ran past him to greet her half way. I remember she wasn't as enthusiastic as I thought she would be, never quickening her pace to anything faster than a brisk walk toward me, so I slowed down too. Her hair hung lazily and was held back behind a black hair band while her brown jacket was wrapped around her waist, covering up the bottom of her simple, pale red dress. I was relieved to see she had sandals today and wasn't attempting to make the trip to the palace in bare feet again. When I was close enough to her to see the green color in her eyes, I stopped and waited for her to reach me. Finally, she was close enough to grab my hand and press it to her forehead, a strange ritual she had begun after learning I was a part of the royal family. I smiled and looped her fingers through mine, calling her name happily.

"Yanmei…"

Yani looked up and giggled, her goofy smile showing off a missing tooth. I began leading her back to the gate where Mother waited, but when I began to run Yani pulled back. I asked her what was wrong, but she only shook her head. I shrugged and walked at her pace toward my mother and my home.

Once at the gate again, my mother greeted us cheerfully while the guards tensed up when I brought my friend through the threshold, still not used to the unusual guest. Like she did before, Yani took my mother's hand and touched it to her forehead before dropping it and smiling at my mother.

"Yanmei, it's nice to see you again," my mother said in a smooth voice as she walked us back through the garden to the mansion my family lived in behind the palace walls.

"Yes, nice…" Yani replied in her high-pitched, clear voice, although I could tell she was distracted; her eyes were looking somewhere else.

Before we made it to the front door of our manor, my mother turned around and placed her hand on Yani's shoulder softly. "Are you alright, Yanmei? You look so tired…" she pointed out and Yani let go of my hand to twist her hair around her finger.

"Yes ma'am," Yani answered immediately.

I decided to speak up, too. "Are you sure? You didn't even want to race to the gate today…"

Yani continued to smile. "Yes, yes!" she nodded enthusiastically. Mother and I watched her skeptically and she began to squirm under our gazes, twisting her hair more fervently than before. "Actually, um…" she began in a quiet voice. "I didn't want to say earlier because I thought you'd make me go home…"

"What?" I laughed and put my hands on my hips proudly. "I won't let anyone send you home, though."

Yani looked a little easier upon hearing this and sighed. "I don't feel very good today again… It hurts, I mean…" She held her stomach and Mother scooped Yani up in her arms.

"You poor thing," Mother cooed, opening the front door and walking into the dark interior of the manor with me following closely behind, suddenly worried about my Yani. My mother took us down the main hall, all the while muttering quietly. "Poor little Yanmei, always so sick…It must be all of that filth… No one is ever there to clean you off… It's deplorable, absolutely deplorable…" Finally, my mother stopped in front of a big, white door, placed Yani gently on the floor and smiled at both of us. "We can fix you up, Yanmei, don't worry." She turned around and opened the door, walking a little into the large closet and picking up a box from the floor. "All you need is some cleaner clothes and you'll be good as new."

Yani looked a bit intimidated, so I was the one to first follow my mother into the closet. Yani hung back for a few seconds before trotting behind me and kneeling on the ground next to my mother as she opened the box and dug through the fabrics inside.

"What's that?" I asked, pointing to the dark red dress my mother was holding up. Although it wasn't patterned, it looked elegant and soft, as if it were made of silk. I felt like I had seen it before.

"It's one of Azula's old nightgowns," my mother explained, handing the garment to Yani and helping her stand up. "Take Yanmei to your room so she can change and I can wash her dress for her," Mother commanded me and I took Yani's hand again, leading her out of the closet and down the hall to my bedroom.

"It's pretty," Yani said quietly, smiling as she rubbed the nightgown against her cheek. I opened the bedroom door to the dark room and walked her to my bed, where she sat down on the edge with the dress in her lap and swung her legs freely. "Will you light the candles?" she asked, twisting her hair around her finger again.

I nodded and focused on the candle by my bedside, feeling the warmth begin in my core and slowly make its way to the tips of my fingers, where it materialized into a small, unsteady flame. I concentrated even harder as I moved the energy to the candle without leaving my position in front of Yani. She remained absolutely quiet, and I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. She was absolutely mesmerized, her emerald eyes wide with wonder and awe. Her admiration gave me a boost of confidence and my bending became stronger and steadier. Once the little flame finally attached itself to the candle wick, Yani began clapping enthusiastically.

"Yes, yes!" she squealed. "I'm so jealous!" Her smile was one of pure joy and I blushed from the praise. Other than my mother, Yani was the only person who found my firebending to be anything special.

"If you think that's good, I can show you more in the garden," I declared arrogantly and Yani's eyes sparkled.

"Let's go!" she said energetically, hopping to her feet and accidentally allowing the red nightgown to slip from her lap and onto the floor.

I laughed at her eagerness as she picked up the garment. "You get dressed first," I suggested. "I'll wait outside the door for you, and then we'll go."

Although she looked disappointed, Yani obediently did as I said and began taking off her dirty clothes as I exited the room.

Outside of my room, the hallway was empty. I wasn't sure where my mother was, but I assumed she was out in the garden as usual, waiting for us. I smiled to myself as I began to picture all of the things Yani and I were going to do. Of course, I would show her more firebending, always looking forward to any chance of showing off my amateur skills to anyone who would watch. After the firbending, though, there were infinite possibilities for the fun Yani and I could have. She would want to feed the turtleducks in the pond; they were her favorite animal. Then, maybe, she could go on an adventure with me in the east garden, where we would travel across the land to defeat any armies that stood in the Great Fire Nation's way. I would be the Fire Lord, and Yani would be my Fire Lady, just like always, and together we would travel to Ba Sing Se, finally overtaking the city and bringing down the Earth Kingdom. After that and with Yani's help, the Water Tribes would fall easily and the Fire Nation would finally be established as the greatest nation in the world. And after that…

My daydreaming was cut short when I heard a strange noise come from my room and then silence. I leaned my ear against the door and knocked softly. "Yani?" I called through the wood but she didn't say anything. Concerned, I slowly opened the door and walked into the room again. "Yani?" I said, louder this time. I stood in the doorway and waited. Yani was nowhere to be seen, as if she had disappeared into thin air. I walked toward my bed and as I got closer I heard hushed whimpering coming from the other side of it.

"Zuko…" Yani cried and I ran to the far side of my bed, where Yani was half-dressed and crumpled in the corner pathetically. She clasped one hand to her mouth and the other one was wrapped around her stomach. Yani silently let her tears fall as she bowed her head in shame.

"What's wrong?" I asked, kneeling down and placing a hand on the top of her head. Yani took her hand she had been holding in front of her face and reached out to me, grabbing my wrist with a quivering, weak grasp. I was surprised when I realized her hand was wet, but it was too dark in the corner to see why, so I sent another flame to the candle behind Yani as quickly as I could, all the while with Yani whimpering and calling my name.

When the candle illuminated the corner a bit more, I pulled Yani's hand from mine to examine it, but when I saw the red that stained her palm I dropped her hand and stood up, shocked. "What's that?" I asked hoarsely, taking a step back in trepidation.

"Zuko," Yani hiccoughed again. She slowly lifted her head and looked up at me, her eyes puffy and red as she cried more openly now. "Zuko, I feel sick…" She reached for me and a red droplet fell from her fingers to the puddle in front of her. When I saw her face, my knees went weak and I fell to the floor again.

I had moved my energy neatly to the candles, but Yani… Yani had spilled her energy all over the floor.

"Y-Yani," I panted, leaning toward her, careful to avoid the pool between us as I wiped the blood from her chin with my sleeve.


	2. Chapter 1: Reunion at Xiahe

_**Yanmei**_

**Chapter 1: Reunion at Xiahe **

When I woke up that morning, there weren't any clouds in the sky, but by mid-afternoon the heavens were pitch black and rumbled with anger. The torrents of rain and rapid flashes of lightning eventually made even me seek out shelter. It wasn't difficult, though; Xiahe was a large Earth Kingdom metropolis, but even the nicest shops wouldn't keep a street rat like me out in this sort of weather. I wandered around the streets briefly, looking for a nice place to stop. Just as the rain really started coming down, I slipped into a tavern on the southern side of the city.

The tavern was one of those dark, dusty types, although it may have just been the storm outside that kept out all of the light. The inside was crowded with men, some standing around watching the storm through the window, some sitting at the bar drinking slowly. Everyone was too busy to notice a sixteen-year-old girl like me slip in, so when I arrived I casually walked to a back table and sat down, soaking wet and alone. I didn't mind much, though, the wetness or the solitude; after spending almost two years homeless and on my own, I was kind of used to it. Besides, I wasn't the only homeless person in the city. Xiahe was large, but not wealthy.

Since I had nothing better to do, I laid my head down on the table and shut my eyes. I smiled a bit when I realized that this was the most comfortable bed I had slept on in weeks. Soon, sleep began tugging at the corners of my brain and it was becoming difficult to stay awake, despite the thunder and the loud chatter from the other tavern patrons. Suddenly, the whole room fell completely silent, whispered warnings to quiet down being passed around here and there.

_Ah, that's more like it,_ I thought, pleased. But when the silence persisted, I opened my eyes, wary.

Once I sat up and looked around the room, the reason for the quiet became obvious. In the center of the room, two tall, fully-uniformed Fire Nation soldiers stood and, going by the amount of water that dripped off of their helmets I guessed they had just walked in. Everyone in the room glared at them, a hint of fear in all of their eyes. I glared, too, although I knew the only difference between them and me was their uniforms.

Although I couldn't bend, Fire Nation blood ran through my veins, and Earth Kingdom citizens in Xiahe didn't look too nicely upon our kind. I tended to have lighter skin than most Xiahe citizens, but, other than that, no one could tell I was the enemy, which suited me just fine.

However, unlike me, these soldiers were obviously outsiders, and I couldn't help but feel a bit bad for them as everyone stiffened and waited for them to act. After a long pause, one soldier walked slowly to the counter, and everyone else held their breath. I watched him curiously as he reached into a bag around his shoulder and took out an intricately embroidered red coin purse, dumping the golden and bronze contents all over the wooden countertop. The bar tender looked at the coins with a look of disgust, but he was not one to allow a sale to slip away, no matter who was buying. The barkeep snatched up the coins and shoved them into a pocket in his apron before leaning over the counter, eyeing the soldier with unmasked contempt. "What do ya want?" he asked in a gruff voice.

Without hesitation, the soldier pointed to a set of bottles behind the bar.

"What, those?" the barman sneered. "You're gonna need a LOT more gold 'fore I part with _those._"

The soldier waved for the other one to join him at the bar, and the second soldier took out a purse of his own and gave all of the coins inside to the bartender, who couldn't help himself from smiling at the sight of all the gold.

"Alright, alright," the barman said, taking five of his most expensive bottles of spirits and handing them over to the Fire Nation soldiers. The soldiers put two bottles into the first soldier's bag and held the remaining three bottles before nodding to the bartender and turning around to leave.

I sat there, my mouth agape, utterly shocked at how much money those men had handed over for the drinks. And then the beginnings of a plan crept into my head, and I stealthily slipped out of the tavern, following the soldiers through the rain.

_They must have more, and they won't miss a little,_ I thought, imagining my own pockets heavy with their money. The two men led me down the southern road, bypassing all of the other shops and houses as they walked in the direction of the docks. I stayed behind, ducking behind barrels and boxes when I felt they were becoming suspicious. Following them was easier than I had imagined it would be, though, mostly due to the lack of people on the streets and the noise from the storm which drowned out my footsteps. Finally, we turned the corner onto a dirt road that led directly to the marina. When I was able to see the boats, I knew exactly which ship the soldiers were venturing back to. It was an enormous, black warship that dwarfed every other ship in the choppy waters. Something about it looked ominous and terrifying, but I refused to be deterred from my mission, following the soldiers all the way to the ship, but hid between two shops across from them as they walked aboard.

_Crap…_ I thought, a little annoyed at myself for not thinking this far ahead. I smacked the palm of my hand to my forehead. _And just what were you planning to do once you got here, Yanmei? Walk up to them and ask for the money? 'Oh, hello there, I'm Yanmei, and I'm robbing you!' Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

I leaned against the wall of one of the buildings and watched the ship carefully, although the rain was making it hard to see. There didn't appear to be very many people on board, save for one or two more soldiers standing guard. Still, they looked pretty miserable, and it was raining…

I weighed the chances of being able to overtake the two grown men with just my knife, and decided I might as well go for it, seeing I had nothing more to lose. I had already lost everything worth losing a year ago in my home in the Fire Nation…

Before I could reason myself out of it, my legs carried me swiftly to the ramp that led to the deck, and as I sneaked up toward the first guard, I reached into a pocket in my pants and took out a small knife. Slowly peeking onto the deck, I watched as the first guard walked to the second guard, both of them shivering in the cold rain. The men had their backs to me, and I thanked the heavens for my good luck. I ran as fast as I could to the smaller-looking guard, his coin purse hanging freely from a belt around his uniform, snatching it up and ducking around his arm as it came flying toward my head in defense. Both men watched me, dumbfounded, from behind their helmets and I decided to act, pushing my way through both of them and managing to trip one, who fell with a loud thud. Hitting their hard uniforms with my soft body hurt more than I had anticipated, and I tried to catch my breath as I hurried back to the ramp.

_Halfway there!_ I thought, ecstatic at my success. Just then, something singed my foot as a fireball whirled past me, barely missing. It distracted me, though, and a split second of distraction was all it took for me to go down, slipping and twisting my ankle on the wet metal deck and skidding to a stop just inches from the ramp that led to my freedom. The two soldiers were on top of me in a matter of seconds, one pinning my shoulders down and the other, the shorter one that I had tripped, pressing my legs to the floor. When he applied pressure to my ankle, though, I screamed and for an instant he eased up before the other one grabbed my arms and roughly lifted me to my feet, forcing me to hobble toward the cabin while he secured my arms behind my back. I dropped the coin purse I had taken from the smaller man and tried to turn my head to watch as he picked it up, confused but grateful.

The guard that was leading me to the cabin opened the door to a dark, lifeless hallway, but I wasn't scared. It was true; I had never been in trouble with anyone from the Fire Nation army before, but somehow I felt like I would be able to get out of this, whether by charm or by escape, just like all of those other times in the Earth Kingdom prisons. It wasn't hard.

As the guard and I walked through the seemingly endless corridors, I tried to put more and more weight on my hurt ankle to test my limit, and was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't actually hurt very badly, and that I could easily run away, should come to that. Honestly, though, I was hoping the captain—or whoever I was being taken to—to just let me off with a warning. That was something that only I understood; sure, Fire Nation officials were strict, but they weren't completely _heartless._ For the most part; every rule had its exceptions.

As we continued to walk through the gloomy, cold walkways, we passed many other soldiers, all uniformed just like my escort. I couldn't see their eyes behind their helmets, but I knew they watching me curiously, and I smiled. _That's right, look at me while you still can…_ I told them mentally. _I'll be gone soon enough, just you wait._

Just as I was getting tired of walking, the guard and I stopped in front of a tall, closed metal door. "Finally…" I mumbled and the soldier's grip on my arms tightened. While keeping one hand at my back where it could easily restrain my hands, he took his other hand and slowly opened the heavy-looking door, which made an annoying squeaking noise when it moved. He then pushed me into the room with more force than necessary so that I fell to my hands and knees, painfully hitting the solid floor. I kneeled down and rubbed my hurt legs, squeezing my eyes shut to prevent tears from escaping.

"Sir!" the soldier boomed. "This young woman was apprehended after attempting to rob me and one other man while we were standing guard on deck."

"Yeah, and your men really don't know how to treat a lady!" I argued, whipping my head up to face my persecutor. Although his back was to me, I could tell he was a surprisingly young man, his hair pulled back into a neat sort of ponytail. "It's not right," I continued, managing to stand up slowly. "You just can't treat a girl so—"

The young man turned around and I stopped mid-sentence, my heart skipping a beat. His face had changed, but I was sure it was him. Just to be sure, though, I took one step forward to get a better look.

"'So' what?" he demanded, keeping up a tough, stern look, although I could tell he recognized me. I saw that familiar recognition reflected in his dark eyes. I watched that recognition slowly swirling behind his eyes carefully, but he must have thought I was looking at the gruesome red scar that covered almost the entire left half of his face, because he turned the scarred side of his head ever so slightly away from me so I couldn't see it as easily.

"'C-can't treat a girl so' what?" he repeated more slowly, as if I hadn't understood the first time.

"So… roughly…" I answered him, taking another step so that I was only a few inches away now. He watched me cautiously without taking a step away; he was just as interested in me as I was in him. We both stood there, staring at one another without speaking. The silence in the small room was suffocating, and behind me I heard the guard who had taken me here swallow loudly, uncomfortably. I would have stayed like that forever, though, if I could have, just wondering about the person in front of me. Thankfully, that person broke the silence.

"You… Look so familiar…" he said in a calmer voice. "But your hair is long and—do I know you?"

I smiled, relieved that he finally remembered. Breaking eye contact, I looked down at his hand, taking it in mine and touching it to my forehead before smiling back at him.

"…It's been a while, Prince Zuko."


	3. Chapter 2: Homewrecker

_**Zuko**_

**Chapter 2: Homewrecker**

Yani found me. Yani's alive.

It was all I could think when I turned around and she was the one standing there, lecturing me on what I should and should not do. I recognized her immediately; after growing up with her, her almond-shaped eyes and full cheeks—of which she had always been self-conscious—had become unmistakable for me. Still, as we stood there staring at one another, I didn't want believe she was here in the Earth Kingdom. She was supposed to be back home in the Fire Nation where she would be safe. But then she grabbed my hand and touched it to her forehead like she used to when we were little and I knew for sure it was her, even though her hair was longer, almost past her shoulders. I knew it was my Yani.

She explained why she was there, more or less, after I commanded the guard to leave the room. She had run away, as far away as she could by stowing herself away on some boat that left the Fire Nation, and that boat had managed to take her to the northern Earth Kingdom. From there she wandered south until she eventually ended up in Xiahe. Of all of the towns she had lived in, Yani had spent the most time in Xiahe.

"Why's that?" I asked her, heating up the tea my uncle had prepared for me earlier that morning before going out to shop in town.

"I don't know," Yani shrugged, staring into her cup.

"Oh, here," I said, taking her cup and using my bending to heat up her tea, too. I handed it back to her and she smiled, taking a small sip.

"I guess I just liked it here," Yani sighed. She smirked, eying me. "Boy, am I glad I stayed, too."

"Yes," I said, walking across the room to study nothing in particular on the wall. "But what will you do now? You still have no home, right?"

Yani was quiet, so I repeated myself.

"Where will you go tonight?"

"Gee," she sighed. "I don't know…"

I turned around to face her. Yani smiled sadly and looked down, laughing a bit. "I guess I thought I could just stay with you…" Shaking her head, she placed her cup of tea on a small table and ran her fingers through her hair, just like when she was little. "But that was kind of a stupid assumption, huh…"

"Yani…" I began, but she held up her hand to stop me and smiled again.

"It's fine, Prince Zuko," she said, standing up straight and tall. "I've been here for a while… I should probably get going before it gets too late and the streets get dangerous." She trotted to the door and turned around to bow to me before hurrying out of the room. I didn't stop her.

To be honest, I was relieved that she had left me alone in my ship.

The world was at war. But, the war hadn't reached Xiahe, not yet. When she left, a wave of relief washed over me because I knew that if she stayed there in that town, at least she would be safe. For a year and a half, I never knew what had happened to her. At first, I regretted not being able to find her and take her with me that time. I thought, if she had stayed, maybe they had killed her. Maybe _he_ had killed her, by his own hand. But she wasn't dead, she was _alive._ Not only that, but she was safe, hidden away in the Earth Kingdom.

And that's where I wanted her to stay, forever, if she could. Always safe. Always hidden away from the people that I know would hurt her. And that's why I didn't stop her when she ran away from me. "Go," I whispered as I watched her back, trying to capture her in my memory. "Keep running. Go away."

I stayed alone in that room for the rest of the wet, stormy day, waiting for Uncle to get back. I wanted to tell him about what had happened, but, at the same, I wanted it to be my secret. These two conflicting wishes battled in my head until Uncle finally returned and, for an instant, my big mouth won the war.

The old man came into our quiet, relaxing room and poured himself a cup of tea before sitting down on a cushion and watching me with a peculiar look; I could tell instantly that he knew something was up with me, and I suppressed a grin.

"Prince Zuko…" he began. "How was your day today?"

"Good…" I answered, walking to the window on the far side of the room and watching the foreboding, gray clouds as they rolled over the town. "I met someone."

"Oh?" I heard the smile in his voice. "You sound happy, Zuko. It wasn't the Avatar, was it?"

I reached up and touched my cheek, realizing that I was smiling without meaning to when I thought of her. Then my hand drifted up to my eye and my smile disappeared instantly. "Don't joke about something like that," I commanded. "No, not the Avatar. Not… Yet."

Uncle laughed. "Sorry, Zuko, sorry…" He subdued his chuckles and calmed down once more. "Then… Was it a girl?"

I smiled with that and nodded slowly. "Yes… Kind of…"

"Well," Uncle sighed, sipping his tea slowly. "There must be something about her that you're not telling me… Your smile gives you away."

I turned away and rolled my eyes. Now as I got closer and closer to telling him the truth, I wanted to keep it my little secret, but I knew that Uncle wouldn't leave me alone until I had told him everything. Not after knowing something was up, at least. "I just…" I began. "I ran into someone I used to know, that's all."

"Someone you used to know?" Uncle asked, surprised. "Here, in the Earth Kingdom? Who was it?"

I began scratching an invisible spot on my arm. "Yanmei ran away from the Fire Nation," I confessed, "and she's in Xiahe now."

I could tell by the way Uncle stayed silent that something I had said was making him nervous. Suspicious, I turned around and found him busy considering something beyond me while he stared out the window. After a long pause, his eyes focused back on me and he spoke. "It's a terrible storm tonight. It will only get worse."

"I… I know…" I answered, a bit confused.

Uncle stood up and turned to leave. "I would hate to be stuck out there on a night like this…" he told me.

His words weighed on me like a ton of rocks as I turned to watch the storm again. "I know…" I told myself. Lightning flashed across the heavens and the world shook as the thunder erupted from the angry sky. Then there was a figure in the dark world, just outside of the window, and when I looked closer, I saw Her standing in front of the ship and watching me, her eyes glowing an eerie yellow. She didn't sway with the wind, nor did she seem to mind the rain coming down. When it thundered, she didn't so much as flinch. Her eyes never left the ship, but just as suddenly as she had appeared, with another flash of lightning she was gone.

I ran out of the room and down the hall, slamming the door behind me. "I know!" I shouted as I sprinted across the deck and toward the docks where I had seen Yani watching me, but when I reached the spot she wasn't there. Swearing under my breath, I hurried down a road that led deeper into the city. By this point I was already soaked, but I didn't mind too much. I was too worried about Yani, and whether or not she was dry, safe, warm.

I had made a mistake when I let her leave. I had made a mistake when I didn't go back to get her a year and a half ago. But I didn't care anymore about what was best for her. I wanted my Yani back.

I ran through the muddy streets calling her name, but was met with only the sounds of the rain and the occasional crash of thunder. I tried a smaller alleyway and ducked under the back porch of a building with open windows that let a sweet scent flow into the air around me. Whatever was being cooked inside smelled sweet and warm, and my stomach growled in protest when I shook my head to focus on what I was doing. "Y-Yani!" I shouted with my hands cupped around my mouth. I was shivering at this point, but I was trying my hardest to ignore the cold.

Someone from the window called to me quietly and I whipped my head around, jumping a bit in surprise. From the window, two glowing yellow eyes looked back at me lazily. "Yani…" I sighed. The eyes looked away briefly before their owner, a cat, slipped out of the window and hopped down onto the porch with me. It rubbed itself against my legs and looked up expectantly.

"What?" I asked it as I shooed it away with my foot. "Are you gonna help me find Yani?"

The cat just stared at me uselessly so I kicked at it again. "Then go away," I grumbled, squatting down and watching the rain from the dry safety of the porch. The cat mewled once more, but this time the meow sounded more desperate. The cat with yellow eyes clawed at my leg and stared at me. "What?" I asked for a second time, annoyed. "You gonna tell me you know where she is?" The cat looked at me, but this time something was different.

Animals have a strange way of knowing things. Rats can predict earthquakes. Birds always know when it will storm badly. Crickets and fireflies know the temperature. I guess for centuries animals have always _known._ And this cat was no exception, I was sure. Follow the cat, find Yani. That kind of logic didn't require explanation; it just was. Just like wind or nighttime, there wasn't a reason.

The cat flicked its tail and slid around the corner into the rain. I stood up and ran after it, positive that around that corner I would find my Yani waiting for me. I hurried into the rain and called her name one last time.

"Yani!"

The alley on the other side of the house with the porch led to a dead end. The cat watched me from under a crate with three kittens snuggled around her. She meowed again and blinked her yellow eyes. _Stupid animal…_ I thought hatefully, finally degraded enough to give up my search and return to the ship.

I didn't bother running through the rain as I headed back. What was the point? I was already soaked. Besides, the water was refreshing, and the way it beat against my head was just distracting enough to keep me from thinking about Yani. As I walked, the muddy ground sloshed beneath me and splashed onto my shoes and pants. I was filthy.

But, I'm sure Yani was filthier. Even when I saw her on the boat, she had dust caked on her face. So, somehow, I felt like I deserved this after all.

When my walk of shame to the boat was finally over and I was back on board, I sulked toward my bedroom, planning on sleeping for a few days at least. But, when I opened the door to the room, a soft voice floated out from the darkness.

"Zuko?"

I raised a flame from the lantern by my window and, suddenly, there she was, sitting calmly on the edge of my bed, her clean, round face illuminated by the glow of the lamp.

"Y-Yani…" I sighed and fell to my knees, laughing in frustration. She leaned forward curiously and watched me as she wrung her long, wet hair. I looked up at her suddenly. "Did you bathe?" Then I noticed the pale pink robes she was wearing. "Where did you get that?"

Yani smiled sheepishly. "I've been here for so long, Zuko. I was waiting for you to get back, you know." She stuck her tongue out and laughed a little. "So Uncle Iroh let me freshen up…"

"Wait," I said, standing up. "Uncle knows you're here?"

"Y-yeah…" she said, shifting her gaze and staring past me into the hallway. "I ran into him after I left and he invited me back… And said you were looking for me, but by the time I got back, you were gone, so I just, uhh.. Waited, I guess…"

"A-and what are you wearing?"

"Oh, this?" she held up the fabric with two fingers and then let it fall again. "Uncle Iroh bought them for me before we came back here… He bought me a whole wardrobe, really…"

I laughed a little to myself. "I can't believe you're back…" I sighed.

"Well,why are you so surprised?" Yani huffed. "After seeing you again, did you really think you could be rid of me so easily, Zuko? You're so foolish!"

I straightened up. "You ran off! How does thinking you were gone make me foolish?"

"Zuko…" Yani smiled and shut her eyes, shaking her head slowly. "It took me so long to find you, Zuko. I could never just leave you so easily…"

"To… To _find_ me?" I took a step closer. "What do you mean?"

Yani stayed quiet and smiled at me, a hint of mischief shining in her eyes. I walked over to sit next to her on the bed and she draped my blanket over my shoulders when she noticed I was shivering. "Why were you out in the rain anyway, Zuko? Uncle and I were waiting for so long!"

I wrapped the blanket tighter around me and laughed a little, despite my frustration and confusion. Uncle had tricked both of us, convincing me of his growing cleverness as he aged. But today I didn't mind much. As my girl squeezed her hair dry and smiled at me, I felt the strange, warm feelings of happiness begin to well up in my chest for the first time in what felt like forever.


	4. Chapter 3: The Thing About Honor

_**Yanmei**_

**Chapter 3: The Thing about Honor**

When I was little, I didn't understand much. Or, rather, I could never understand things as a whole; only in parts. At school we would learns about the war, but no matter how much I studied, I just understood the what, where, who; never the _why._ _Why_ were we fighting? _Why_ did we need to prove to the world that the Fire Nation was so strong? I had nothing to do with the war, so _why_ was I constantly punished for it?

I wondered about these things for years, all the while sitting by helplessly as I watched Jianjun, Father, Lu Ten and Mother all left me. By the time Zuko's turn came around, I had already began thinking that maybe I was missing something. Maybe I was supposed to go away, too. So when Uncle Iroh came to me and told me they were leaving, I begged him to take me with them. No matter how much I cried for them, though, they wouldn't let me. Iroh wouldn't let me because Zuko wouldn't let me. And Zuko wouldn't let me because Zuko didn't want me. And so I was left to watch their ship leave in the dead of night without me on it. And that was when I first began plotting my escape off of Fire Nation soil, just like everyone else before me.

For almost two years I travelled alone, homeless and often-times frightened. I had never been out of the Fire Nation before my self-banishment, but suddenly I was roaming all over the world, constantly trying to find the "why." I thought that, somehow, if I discovered the missing answers, I would find Zuko, too. But, despite my searching, I began to feel like the why simply didn't exist. Before I knew it, I honestly believed I would never see Zuko again. And it was when I reached my lowest point that I ended up in Xiahe.

But I guess fate just has a funny way of working.

I wanted to ask Zuko what he thought about these things, like fate and destiny and everything that I had swimming around in my head, but I couldn't bring myself to talk to him about them.

Zuko was different somehow. Quieter. Angrier. There was an uncomfortable awkwardness between us, and as a result I tried to avoid him during the day, when the soldiers might see us together. Instead, I often wandered around the ship or watched the crashing waves as we traversed the seas, always heading toward some unknown destination, always south-bound.

One morning, Zuko woke up next to me with a start. I rolled over to face him sleepily, my eyes fluttering open lazily. He sat up, hunched over as he rubbed his good eye with his hand.

"Are you okay?" I mumbled. He only stared at nothing for a long time without a word. I sat up too and placed a hand on his back unconsciously. He leaned forward, away from my touch and hopped off of the bed, standing and facing the wall.

"We need to hurry," he almost yelled as he rushed out of the room.

Without knowing what he meant, I shrugged and got out of bed as well. I felt like a phantom as I floated through the austere hallways of Zuko's warship. Maybe a phantom is the wrong word, though. Maybe I was more like an empty shell, following the same path through the intertwining hallways that I had learned to take a week ago when I first arrived.

Finally, I reached my destination and stepped out onto the deck, the warm, salty air licking at my cheeks and wishing me a good morning.

"Miss Yanmei," a cheerful voice called out to me. "Good morning—you sure are up early."

A young man, the same young man I had tried to steal the coin purse from, walked up to me briskly from across the deck. "Good morning, Eiji," I replied, waving. "But didn't I tell you not to call me that? Just 'Yani' is fine."

Eiji laughed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but… You know…"

Eiji was one of the only people on the ship—other than Zuko and Uncle Iroh, of course—who actually spoke to me. The others simply looked at me as some sort of outsider, an intruder into the life they had created aboard this boat. But Eiji was different. He didn't just speak to me, he was someone I knew I could trust, someone I could look at as a friend.

Eiji and I walked to the side of the boat and while he admired the ocean, I studied him. I had never seen him wear his helmet, even though I was pretty sure he was a low-ranking officer. His dark hair was shorter than Zuko's and not styled in any special way, making him look even younger than he probably was. As I thought about it, though, I wasn't sure just how old Eiji was. I decided he couldn't be much older than me; his full cheeks and bright demeanor gave him away.

Eiji noticed my staring and smiled in return. "Is everything alright, Miss?"

"Eiji?" I began. "Do you believe in fate?"

I wasn't sure why I was asking him, but once the question was out there, I was curious to know his answer. He turned and looked out onto the horizon again, leaning against the boat with a thoughtful expression. Finally he cleared his throat. "May I answer openly, Miss?" I nodded.

When he received my approval, Eiji inhaled deeply. "I don't know for sure, but… I think, if fate is true, it's a pretty cruel thing."

"Cruel?" I let this word weigh on my mind as I contemplated what he could have meant. "But…" I finally managed. "I don't think it's that bad. I mean, fate is what brought me here, after all. I think it might be a good thing."

Eiji smiled but didn't say a word, and his silence was unnerving. "You've only been here for a short while," he said softly, some sort of sadness reflecting in his eyes. "But I suppose it's alright to think that way, too."

I wanted to talk to Eiji more, but Zuko came storming out of the inner cabin. Eiji and I turned to watch him as he began sparring with another officer.

Zuko launched himself at the man with a yell and a burst of flame. There was something about his attitude today that worried me. Zuko was moving recklessly, swinging his arms and legs without any sort of thought put into his movements. Eiji must have noticed, too, because from the corner of my eye I saw him tense up every time it looked like Zuko was about to lose the match. I leaned over and grabbed his sleeve. "Let's go," I whispered. "I hate watching him fight."

Zuko noticed us move as we started to walk away and turned to look at us. Time froze for a moment and he looked as if I had hurt him with some sort of injustice, and then he looked at Eiji in the same manner. I shouted at Zuko to watch out, but it was too late, and the sparring mate took advantage of Zuko's distraction, successfully launching him across the deck before Zuko fell for good. I ran to Zuko, Eiji close behind, and leaned down next to him.

"Z-Zuko! Are you okay?" I tried to help him up, but he moved too quickly away from me.

"Damn it!" he screamed, turning away and literally fuming. I wanted to calm him down, but, at the same time, he scared me. I tried to reach out to him, to touch him, let him know everything was alright, but Eiji held my arm back.

"Come on," Eiji commanded in a low voice and I followed, my head hanging in embarrassment.

Zuko stayed out late that night, but after dinner I went back to the bedroom and waited, despite my exhaustion as the night wore on. Finally, hours after the moon had first made its appearance in the sky, Zuko slipped into the dark room where I lied, pretending to sleep. He tried as quietly as possible to sneak into his spot next to me in his bed. He and I lied, silent in the stillness of the quiet room. Finally, Zuko rolled over to face me and poked my arm.

"Yani?" he whispered. "Are you awake?"

I turned to face him and nodded. "Prince Zuko…" I sighed. "Are you alright?"

I knew _now_ was the time I could freely talk with Zuko—the REAL Zuko. He had no problem taking off his mask and exposing his true self in the safety of the night, when we were alone in his room.

"Yani…" Zuko breathed, but said nothing more. After two years of separation, Zuko had become an enigma, and I wanted now to know what was going on in his head more than ever. Again, I was searching for impossible answers, but this time I thought I knew where to look.

"Zuko, where are we going?" I asked.

"I don't know," he answered, and then added, "The South Pole."

"What's down there?"

He remained quiet, and I thought he didn't understand my question.

"I mean," I corrected myself, "What are we going to find down there?"

He said nothing, but in the darkness I watched his silhouette as he brought his arm up and lightly touched his face. I knew he was stroking his scar, and as I watched him in the darkness, I couldn't help but feel an almost overwhelming sense of guilt. But, suddenly, Zuko took the same arm raised to his face and grabbed my hand.

"Yani," he spoke quietly and squeezed my hand. "I'm so glad you're back."


	5. Chapter 4: The Princess of Sanming

_**Eiji**_

**Chapter 4: The Princess of Sanming **

The morning we arrived in the fishing village of Sanming marked three weeks since Yanmei's arrival on our ship. Yanmei was… unique, to say the least. But I enjoyed her company, nonetheless. I think, though, she made the other crew members a little uneasy. I'm not sure why, but I figured it had to do with her position on the ship, with her relationship with our boss. Honestly, if I hadn't been charged with the job of protecting her by the prince to begin with, I probably would have avoided her just as much as the others.

She was weird. Yanmei talked about weird things often. She always asked me strange questions, and always looked like she was heavily contemplating my answers. In the mornings, she would walk out on deck and sniff the air; she said the smell of the sea made her happy. She never ate much; well, not in front of me, anyway. Once, she said it was embarrassing. Another time she told me she just didn't like food. Sometimes, when she didn't know I was watching, she wore a pained expression, as if something was constantly troubling her. And every night she would watch the stars before leaving me and disappearing into the prince's room.

Some nights after we'd part, I'd go back out onto the deck and look up at the night sky, wondering if I was seeing the same things she was. Somehow, though, that seemed too impossible and, in the end, Yanmei continued to remain a mystery.

She was weird, but something about her seemed so familiar. Maybe it was the way her dark eyes seemed to shine with curiosity about the dumbest, most trivial matters, or maybe it was the way she liked to wear her straight black hair on the top of her head when it was hot out; whatever it was, Yanmei reminded me of a girl I used to know from a small Earth village I visited years ago. But I was only sixteen then and naïve; I'm older now, and I know better.

When we arrived at the village of Sanming on a crisp autumn morning, our ship's precious passenger was eager to set foot on dry land again. Zuko hadn't let her off of the ship at any other stops we had made, claiming it was safer for her to stay hidden on the boat. Hidden from what, she and I weren't sure. But it wasn't until we reached Sanming that the prince grudgingly granted his princess her freedom she so desperately wanted. Of course, as her bodyguard, I was instructed to accompany her, but I didn't mind much. I was a little excited myself.

Whether she was a princess or not, that day Yanmei certainly dressed the part, exiting the cabin to meet me in her finest green dress that Iroh had picked up for her at the last stop. I waited for her as she approached slowly, majestically. "Miss Yanmei," I greeted her, handing her a heavy brown piece of fabric.

"Eiji," she smiled, looking a bit sleepy. "What's this?"

"A cloak, Miss Yanmei," I answered, helping her put it on over her dress. "The prince wants you to wear this so you don't get too cold."

"That's sweet, but I think I'll be fine…"

"I'm sorry, Miss… Prince's orders…"

Yanmei smiled and nodded in understanding. She then exhaled loudly. "Let's go!" She cheered and started for land. I trotted to keep up and as we touched ground for the first time in weeks Yanmei chatted happily about nothing in particular. I don't think she noticed. Or maybe that's why she talked so much. Maybe she was trying to block the town out. Everyone and everything around her seemed so worn out. The entire area had a tired feeling. The buildings were in shambles, the people were in rags. No one spoke but Yanmei. The only other sound was the ocean slapping against the boats in the harbor.

Against such a sad, desolate backdrop Yanmei looked completely out of place. And that all made her seem even more stunning in her green dress than before on the boat. She really did look like royalty.

"Eiji, what's up there?" Yanmei asked, pointing up the main road that led up the side of a small mountain. "Can we go look?" I nodded even though I wasn't so sure we should be going so far from the dock and the two of us started the trek through the town and up the mountain. There was hardly anyone in the area, and as we got closer and closer to the end of the unpaved road it became apparent that it led to one of Sanming's famous gates. Finally we reached our destination and seeming to not care much about the expensive dress she was wearing, Yanmei plopped down in the dirt and leaned back against one of the legs of the wooden gate.

"This is very…" Yanmei trailed off, her eyes gleaming as she surveyed the scenery.

I laughed. "Beautiful seems like the wrong word, doesn't it…"

"Yes…" She agreed. "How about breathtaking?"

I nodded and watched the world below us move slowly.

"Eiji?" Yanmei asked after a long quiet while. "Why is this gate here?"

Deciding it was safe, I sat down in the dirt next to Yanmei and rested on the gate, too. "This town is known as the City of the Three Gates, you know. These gates are very special, too." Yanmei turned around and lightly ran her finger up and down the column we were leaning against; I smiled. "These gates are seen as the gateways into a very sacred place. A place for the spirits and gods of this world. Sanming is very special too, because it's where three doorways from the spirit world lead. It's like an intersection for the spirits."

"Do you think we can travel to that place if we go through this gate here?"

"Go there?"

"To the spirit world."

I thought Yanmei was kidding, but when I looked at her she had a sense of determination reflecting in her eyes. "That would be impossible, probably, for people like us." She didn't say anything, so I elaborated. "When I was little my grandfather told me the only person that can actually travel to this place is the Avatar himself."

"Isn't that who we're looking for?" Yanmei sighed and I nodded. "I think I'd be fine living like this for the rest of my life," she confessed calmly, and her calmness alarmed me just a bit. "If we never find him, I mean, I think it would be alright." I stayed quiet; I wasn't sure how to respond to that. My duty told me we needed to find this man at all costs, but deep down I felt the same way as Yanmei. In that very instant, sitting under the gate with the spirit world to our backs, I wasn't sure anymore if obligation really was more important than how I felt as an individual.

Yanmei was certainly strange, but something was so familiar to me. Yanmei had the habit of expressing the very thoughts I would never dare to bring up. She exposed these hidden feelings, thoughts and ideas I had long since buried deep within myself. And so easily she was able to uncover them, as if she always had known these things about me. It was a bit frightening, but, at the same time, it was the very endearing quality about her that made it seem like Yanmei and I had met long ago. I was afraid that these feelings she was bringing out were the beginnings of love, and that was the last thing I wanted. It was also the one thing I wanted more than anything. I wanted her to smother me in this familiarity, and at the same time, I couldn't move or act on it; my duty to the prince prevented that. So I remained quiet and listened to my princess, everyone's princess, as she began to hum quietly with the wind.

"Eiji?" she said suddenly, stopping the song. "Sometimes I feel like I've known you since before we were born, you know?"

I froze. Those words stuck in me so painfully I couldn't breathe. Yanmei just looked at me, confused.

"Where… Where did you hear that?" I asked and Yanmei smiled a bit.

"What do you mean where did I hear that?" She laughed, but somehow I didn't think I was talking to Yanmei anymore. I tried again.

"I mean… Who told you to say that?"

Yanmei's smile grew wider. "That's just how I feel, you know? Being up here, it makes me feel really close with you. I, well. I think I lo—"

"Yanmei!" I barked, standing up. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet. She looked at me a bit dazed. "I think we've been here long enough," I explained. "Let's go back to town." Before she could retaliate I pulled her down the path and away from the gate to the spirit world. I was foolish enough to have let her go there to begin with. I was foolish to believe I was falling in love with this girl. They had been manipulating us all along, from beyond that gate, I was sure. There was just no other explanation for how I felt up there. No other explanation for what Yanmei had said to me.

As we walked, Yanmei was very quiet and let me lead her back down the mountain without complaint. Once we reached the town again I let go of her and glanced back up the mountain. I was sure that, for a second, I saw Her standing there, at the top of the mountain, next to the gate, but in another instant She was gone. There are many things in this world that are hard to explain, I suppose.

"Eiji?" Yanmei asked, looking at the mountain with me. "Is there someone you wish you could visit in the spirit world? You know, if you could."

I smiled at her as calmly as I could manage before glancing up the mountain to make sure She was really gone now. "Of course there's someone. There's always someone." Yanmei nodded and watched the mountain again. I wondered what she was seeing.

"Well, let's go back to the ship," I laughed a bit uneasily. "We've had enough of an adventure for today, I think."

We walked quietly through the streets. After sitting in the dirt, Yanmei's cloak and dress now looked less extravagant; she seemed less out of place, now that she had been dulled. As we turned the corner, though, Yanmei seemed to light up. She ran ahead of me to the side of her prince. I smiled.

Prince Zuko, Iroh, and Yanmei were looking at the wares for sale at a stall on the side of the road. They were just trinkets, nothing too valuable, but some of them seemed a bit strange, exotic. Yanmei kept pointing out a beautiful black butterfly broach. I think maybe she wanted it, but was too shy to ask the prince, and he was too self-absorbed to notice. When the time came for all of us to leave the stall, Yanmei seemed a little disappointed, although she tried hard not to show it. I hung back at the stall for a moment and slid a few coins across the table to the old woman on the other side. "The butterfly," I said quietly, taking it and slipping it into my pocket. The woman nodded in understanding and took my money greedily. I would be sure to give the butterfly to Zuko later that night, before he retreated into his room with her. I would sneak it to him, along with a message.

_Make her happy._


	6. Chapter 5-1: Morning

_**Zuko**_

**Chapter 5.1: Morning**

When we were young, Yanmei and I were almost always together. _Almost._

We had two lives, one spent together and one apart. I guess it was in her separated life that she met him, and suddenly I had to compete for her attention whenever he was in town. And he always, always made sure to visit her and give her gifts from all over the world. I hated him, but Yanmei adored him so much, I could never tell her. It was always "Today, Zhao" this and "Yesterday, Zhao said" that. I hated having to hear so much about him and how great he was, and I started to hate Yanmei's separated life, too. And I think that only pushed her farther and farther away whenever he was at the capitol.

Somehow, I was thinking of this and him when I woke up one morning.

Yanmei was already up, which was unusual. She stood by the desk on the far end of the room. "Yani," I mumbled, still half asleep. How early was it anyway?

She turned and smiled at me. "Good morning, my prince!" She pranced over to the bed and sat down by my side. I scooted over to give her some room but didn't bother sitting up while she pouted. "I said, good morning…"

"You're annoying too early," I said, but I smiled in spite of myself. "Good morning."

"Good morning," she repeated. She wasn't dressed yet, just awake, so she lied down next to me and shut her eyes. I turned my head and watched her.

"What, now that I'm awake, you're going back to sleep?" She nodded and smiled. "You're dumb," I sighed, laughing a bit. Laughter seemed to only ever occur in her presence. "Come here, at least," I commanded and grabbed her arm, tugging a bit. She rolled over to me and laid her head down on my chest. As I breathed she seemed to float, up and down, while listening to my heartbeat. This had become something we had done for a week or two, since our visit to Sanming. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't mind, either. I almost preferred things this way.

I watched her again and noticed the butterfly broach on the ribbon around her neck. Her bodyguard had given it to me as we left Sanming. He had told me to use it to make her happy. I sighed. "Yani, are you happy?"

"Hmm?" she breathed and a small smile appeared on her face. "I suppose I am. Why?"

I knew she wasn't lying to me, but I also knew there was no way she could be with me like this and happy for long. Things like that just don't last.

I pushed her off of me gently and sat up; she looked a bit surprised. "I need to go now," I said. "I'm… hungry." She shrugged and lied back down. I tried to smile reassuringly—for her sake or mine?—but she didn't care, really. I could just tell. She smiled back weakly before rolling over and facing the wall.

I grabbed a heavy piece of red fabric that was hanging limply over the back of a chair by the desk, sure it is Yanimei's cloak from last night, and quickly put it on before leaving the room and heading down the main corridor. As I reached the main deck, I passed that one soldier again, Yanmei's bodyguard. He shot me a questioning glance and I pointed back toward my room with a shrug. Past him, out at the front of the boat I saw Uncle as he watched the horizon calmly. When he heard me approaching he turned and smiled.

"The south pole," he said, turning to face the ice and vast nothingness before us again. The boat was stopped here in the middle of the ocean, the middle of the south pole. "There are no water benders left in the Southern Water Tribe, supposedly," Uncle said, and there seemed to be something there—something sad. "I don't know what you expect to find here, Zuko," he smiled at me again.

"I expect to find the Avatar," I answered, although even I was unsure of why I had chosen the South Pole. "I just have this feeling."

Uncle nodded slowly. "Believe your gut and what it tells you. For example, mine tells me it's time for breakfast," he chuckled and walked back to the main cabin. I looked out at the edge of the world and wondered what was in store for us down here. We would most likely spend our days combing the frigid waters slowly, never leaving the same general spot. It was the perfect location, really, with our boat hidden just so behind an iceberg that we could see the Southern Water Tribe but surely they couldn't see us. I nodded to myself. Yes, this would do. We could stay here for a day or two at least, and then leave this barren wasteland soon, after we didn't find the avatar here, either. Uncle once told me that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result, and I couldn't help but wonder if that's what I was doing, searching for the same thing in different locations over and over again and always coming up short. Maybe I was insane.

I shook the thought away and followed Uncle into the cabin for breakfast.


	7. Chapter 5-2: Night

_**Yanmei**_

**Chapter 5.2: Night**

"Ah, there you are, Yani. I've been looking all over for you," Zuko said in a hushed, hurried tone, shutting his bedroom door quietly behind him. I turned to face him; of course I was here, in his bedroom. I glanced out the small port window behind me and saw stars. Where else would I be at this time of night?

"Is everything alright?" I asked as Zuko took a step closer to me. He nodded.

"There was something I wanted to ask you, that's all," he reassured, a bit less frantic this time. "Is Eiji gone?"

"Y-yes," I stammered as Zuko got closer. As he took another step forward, I took one back. Zuko stopped and looked at me from across the room, not even trying to hide the obvious sadness written all over his face. Suddenly I felt a pang of guilt for stepping back and I sighed. "My prince… Maybe you should go to bed. You seem tired…"

"You're going to sleep already?" Zuko gasped, too surprised.

"Yes…" I answered him cautiously. "Why shouldn't I? Is there something else I should be doing…?"

"Come here," he ordered and I shrugged, following command and prancing to him like an obedient puppy.

"What's wrong?" I asked again.

"Nothing," Zuko smiled, his scar crinkling up on the corner of his eye. Had his scar always been on that side? "I'm just really happy," he continued. "I missed you today."

Today? Where had I been today? Suddenly I couldn't remember that day, or any day really. Instead they were all a gray mass of nothing floating around in my head.

Zuko took my hand and held it in both of his. He was so warm as he stepped even closer to me and pressed his body against mine.

"No!" I gasped, sitting up and drawing my knees to my chest. Next to me, Zuko was up in an instant, shooting a small fireball across the room.

"Yani!" He shouted, his eyes searching his bedroom wildly. After a few quiet seconds we both managed to calm down and fully wake up. Zuko slumped back against the wall and moaned. "Why did you yell?"

I tried so hard to say sorry, to apologize for waking him up, but when I opened my mouth no words came out. Instead, just gasps and squeaks.

"Y-yani… What's wrong?" Zuko leaned forward and brushed his hand against my cheek in the darkness. "You're crying? Wh-why?"

I shrugged and then realized Zuko couldn't see me, so I cleared my throat and tried to speak. "Dunno."

A few minutes went by and eventually I managed to stop the tears. Zuko watched me from against the wall in silence. He was always so useless whenever I was crying.

"Zuko," I said quietly, "I need to get off of this boat."

"No," He answered me almost instantly and I shook my head.

"Please, listen. I need just… Just a day or two okay? That's not so much is it?"

He was quiet and I could tell he didn't approve. "Where would you go," he asked.

"Eiji told me about the Southern Water Tribe," I confessed. "I want to stay there.

"Absolutely not, Yanmei. No."

He continued to protest and refuse but I argued louder and louder. I WOULD be heard. "I can pose as an Earth Kingdom citizen who was shipwrecked or something and I'll stay in the Water Tribe for just one or two days and I will—Zuko!"

He stopped arguing and listened.

"Maybe," I tried, "this could even benefit you. I know how we've made these people our enemies. If there was any word of the avatar living in this tribe, there's no way they'd tell you. But maybe… Maybe if I was posing as someone other than an enemy, I could conduct some research, learn what they know…"

He didn't like it. He REALLY didn't like it. But at the same time I knew he couldn't refuse, just like I knew this was my one chance to step on solid ground for a while. It had been so long since I had left the ship, and I think I was starting to lose it a little.

"You… can't…" Zuko whined.

"Why not."

"You just… can't. What if something happens to you, Yani?" He was quiet for a moment before adding softly, "What will I do."

I leaned toward him and placed a hand on each cheek. His scar was warm under my fingers.

"You need to trust me, nothing will happen, Zuko. I promise."

Even in the darkness I could see his eyes staring at me. "You've already made up your mind, haven't you?" He sighed. "Okay."

"Thank you!" I shouted, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him into me. He struggled a bit but I hardly noticed. "Thank you, thank you, THANK you, Zuko!" I cheered and bounced up and down, and Zuko tugged at my nightgown. As he pulled himself away from my grasp I quickly kissed him on the cheek.

"D-don't do that!" He pushed himself back against the wall and slapped his hand to his cheek. "D-don't! You can't j-just! Y-you kissed—!" I just smiled and the prince pouted and threw himself down onto the bed. "Whatever, I'm going back to sleep. J-just stay on your half of the bed, Yani."

"Okay, Prince," I said, still excited. I had never been to a water tribe before. I lied down next to Zuko, still smiling, but after a few seconds he sat up again and crawled to the foot of the bed.

"A-actually, I'm gonna… I'll be on the floor okay."

I shrugged. "Okay, Prince."

Once he was off of the bed, Zuko was very quiet, only making the slightest noises every now and then. I'm not sure how much longer he was awake, but I fell asleep soon after he left, a smile permanently stuck on my face.


	8. Chapter 6: Ice Fishing

_I'm sorry it's been so long… Somehow I just couldn't bring myself to write! But lately I've been overflowing with inspiration AND motivation for various projects, so I will try to update more often!_

_-Aaya_

**Sokka**

**Chapter 6: Ice Fishing**

One of my favorite things to do is go ice fishing. I don't know what makes it so special. Back in the village, it's quiet but oddly busy. Everyone's always doing something, whether it's cleaning, guarding, playing, talking. But when I'm out fishing, the world's a lot quieter and I can sit and think. Or not think. Sometimes, I zone out for hours, and when I come back I can't remember anything that's gone on in that time. Once, Katara asked if she could go fishing with me. I told her she wouldn't like it, that it's too boring, but she said she wanted to go to find out what kind of things people think about when they go fishing. I wasn't sure how to tell her that it's nothing. It's just a waste of empty time.

The first visitor we had came when I was in one of my empty spells. She was walking over the ice and although she was still so far away, she looked too cold. She was only wearing a green blanket-like thing draped over her, and at first I could have sworn she was a mirage. She waved, and I waved back, confused. And then, in an instant, she disappeared. _Huh,_ I thought. _She really must have been a figment of my imagination._ I went back to watching my hole in the ice when a shrill shriek cut through the still air. I was up in an instant and I saw the flailing coming from where the girl had disappeared in the ice. One misstep here and it's disastrous, and judging from how she was dressed this girl was clearly not well-equipped for the South Pole.

I ran as quickly as I could to her, making sure to avoid any cracks in the ice. I reached her just as she struggled to pull herself out of the water and onto the sheet of ice I was standing on. She reached a shaking hand up and I took it, hoisting her up and helping her stand once she was on solid ground again.

"I didn't s-see the—the split in—the ice," she stammered, her teeth chattering so violently I could barely understand her. She was soaked from head to toe, and her lips were starting to turn blue.

"We need to warm you up," I said. "Take your green thing off."

It was clear she didn't understand why but she was too miserable to argue and she promptly stripped into just her black pants, green tunic and boots. I took my parka off and handed it to her while she handed me her cloak. She stood there shivering, and I flipped her hood up to cover her head. "Come on," I said, taking her hand and leading her toward my village.

We walked quietly for a few minutes until the silence started to drive me crazy. "I'm Sokka. What's your name?" I turned to look at her, and she smiled at me.

"Mmm… Mmmmm…"

"Mmm?"

She nodded. "Mhmm. Mmmy n-n-n-nammmmme isssss Y-y-y-y-annnnnn-mmmmmmei." She furrowed her brow and tried again. "Y-y-yanmmmmmei. Y-y-yanmmmmmei! Y-y-yanmmm—"

"It's okay," I laughed. "I get it. Yanmei, right?" She nodded and laughed a bit.

"Sssssssssssssssorry, I'mmmmmmmm cold-d-d-d-d."

"Don't worry, it's here," I said, pointing to the wall we had come upon.

I brought her into the village and everyone kept their distance; visitors weren't a common occurrence for the Southern Water Tribe. The youngest children peeked from behind their mothers skirts, and the older ones spoke in whispers while they pointed. A few of them gathered courage and called out to us. Yanmei simply smiled at her hecklers.

I brought her into our igloo, where Katara was lying down next to the fire. When she saw the both of us she looked wary. "Sokka, who's that?" she asked, choosing to speak to me rather than our guest.

Yanmei saw the fire and hurried to the center of the room, dropping to her knees and warming her hands over the flame. After a second she turned to Katara and smiled. "My name is Yanmei. I'm from the Earth Kingdom."

Katara's eyes lit up. "Oh wow, really? The Earth Kingdom?"

"I guess that explains the green clothes," I added, sitting down next to Yanmei. "I'm Sokka and this is my little sister Katara."

Katara waved and Yanmei nodded at her before turning to me. "Is this your… home? It's very nice. Cozy."

I looked at Katara and held out Yanmei's wet cloak. "Can you give this to Gran Gran to dry? And I'll help Yanmei out here."

Katara seemed a little annoyed that I was asking her to leave, but I think she understood, too. I wanted to be left alone with Yanmei. Katara was the closest kid my age in the whole village. Anyone younger was too young, and anyone older was married with a family already. Yanmei seemed right around my age and I couldn't help wanting to be alone with her and not wanting to share.

Katara crawled out of the igloo and left the two of us alone. Yanmei smiled at me. "Thanks for bringing me here. I probably would have _died_, had you not come along."

"It's nothing, honest," I insisted. I noticed Yanmei shudder again and remembered that her tunic and pants were still soaked. "You know, you're probably not going to warm up very much if you leave your wet clothes on."

I could tell Yanmei agreed, but she seemed hesitant to strip any further. "I don't have any other clothes though…" she explained and I nodded, reaching into a pile of fabrics behind me and pulling out a large, thick blanket.

"Here, wrap up in this, okay? And let your other clothes dry." I handed Yanmei the blanket and she draped it over her shoulders. With the blanket wrapped around her, she somehow managed to get her shirt off without revealing anything and handed it to me to lay flat next to the fire. Then she took her boots off and hid her feet back under the blanket as quickly as possible.

"I think I'll keep my pants on at least, if it's alright."

"Oh, yeah, definitely," I nodded, a little embarrassed that she had to ask permission.

She watched the fire and I watched her, transfixed. I had so many questions. Who was she? Why was she here? What was she doing on her own? I _wanted _to ask them, but somehow I just couldn't bring myself to say a word.

With one hand, she reached up from beneath the blanket and twisted her long dark hair around her wrist. Her slender fingers were purple and it wasn't until then that I noticed an occasional shiver shake her entire body. She must have noticed me staring, too, because she smiled at me with rosy cheeks.

"I'm being really rude right now, aren't I?" she asked, laughing a bit. I cocked my head to the side, which just made her giggle more. The sound was nothing more than a light tinkle that floated through the air. I could feel my cheeks flare up and I looked down at my feet to hide it from her.

"Thanks for saving me," she said after a while. "Really. When I saw you and you waved back, I got so excited that I forgot to watch where I was going."

"Wha? Oh, yeah…" I crossed my arms and grinned to myself. Playing it cool had always been a strong suit of mine. "No problem." Yanmei wrapped the blanket around her tighter. When she didn't say anything more, I couldn't hold it in anymore and spoke again. "What were you doing out there, anyway? If you're from the Earth Kingdom, you're kind of a long way from home…"

"Oh…." Her eyes flicked upward as she stared at the ceiling in thought. "I was on a boat, I think. Yeah. I was on a boat, and then it sank. I, uh… I think. And then when I woke up I was on a big piece of ice. Mm-hm. And then, hey, you found me!"

She laughed again and I joined her this time. We did a lot of that together, for a long time. Time seemed to pass in one long leap as we talked and laughed and got on as if we were old friends. At some point, I had even scooted closer to sit next to her. For some reason, I just felt like talking to her, and it was easy; the words just flowed. I wanted it to go on forever if it could. But I guess it's true, that all good things must come to an end.

It was just as Yanmei and I were making plans to go ice fishing tomorrow that Gran Gran stormed in, Katara in tow. When Gran Gran saw me and this stranger sitting snugly in front of the fire, I thought she was honestly going to blow up. Instead, though, she just stared at us, speechless, as her rage simmered. Finally, she managed to ask, "Sokka, who I this."

"I… She's…. Her name…." I was tripping over my own tongue and I didn't know what to do or say because I felt no matter what I chose it would be wrong. I glanced back at Yanmei briefly. Her eyes were wide and it seemed as if the color had drained from her face.

"I'm Yanmei," she said clearly, although I could hear a slight tremble in her voice. Gran Gran put her arms on her hips. Katara stood behind her and did nothing but look down at her feet while she kicked at nothing.

"She fell in the water and I saved her," I said, feeling a bit proud of myself. "She's from the Earth Kingdom." Gran Gran's expression softened a bit and she looked almost sympathetic. "She's really nice," I added, less confidently than before. "We've been talking this whole time and—"

"Sokka." Gran Gran's voice, although not as harsh as before, still cut through the air like a steel blade. "You're supposed to… You're supposed to be the one to protect us, aren't you?" She smiled. "You're the man of the village now."

Her words felt like they were stabbing me in the heart and I felt my throat get tight. "She's… She's not a threat…" I tried. "She's been shipwrecked somewhere nearby. She's not dangerous…" From the corner of my eye I saw Yanmei nodding and agreeing with me vehemently.

"I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to intrude, I just….. I didn't know what else to do! I thought I was going to die…"

Gran Gran obviously was not happy, but she sighed in defeat. "It's not you, dear," she explained. "It's just that in the past, visitors we've had here haven't been entirely… _friendly,_ is all."

I turned back to Yanmei and watched her worried expression. "Sokka saved me," Yamei said, leaning forward a bit. "I owe him everything. I would never, _ever _do anything to hurt him, or anyone in his village, I swear!"

Gran Gran shook her head slowly and let out a long, drawn out breath. "It's late," she finally said. "Dinner will be ready soon." She began to turn around and exit the igloo. "We can decide what to do with you tomorrow, but for now, rest up."

The butterflies in my stomach began fluttering like crazy when I realized I had won, at least for now. I smiled at Yanmei and she smiled back, although she looked a bit less content than me.

Gran Gran stopped right before the door. "Sokka," she said without turning around. "I'm very disappointed in you." She then left without another word.

I felt like I had just been punched in the gut.


End file.
